Method and apparatus for forming concrete subsleepers



March 5, 1929. H. KILLICDN 1,704,135

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING CONCRETE SUBSLEEPERS Filed Sept. 14, 1925 j enfor Patented Mar, 5, 1929.

hair-En STATES P TENT-O FI E.

HARRY rKILLioiv, or wnvrnnsiitr, IOWA.

Application filed; September, 14, 1925. Serial No. 56,268

This invention relates to the-forming of suitable supports for wooden floors when used on top of a concrete floor.

It has heretofore been the practice to provide a series of parallel strips of wood which are laid on top of the concrete after it has hardened, and are usually secured in posit-ion by a number of metal strips or screed anchors. In actual practice the top surface of the con crete floor is usually more or less unevenand rough. It is, therefore, necessary to level the wooden strips or scrceds by placing beneath them wooden wedges or other suitable supports, after which it is sometimes the practice to fill the space between the wedges with concrete by means of a trowel. 'This, however, is so slow and tedious that the filling of the space between the screeds and the floor is omitted which results in the screeds being supported upon the wedges alone, portions of the screeds sometimes resting directly on the high points of the concrete, which is sometimes covered with loose pebbles. This construction is objectionable due to the fact that the wedges have a tendency to work loose under constant use, and that portion of the screed which rests on the pebbleshas a tendency to settledue to the fact that the pebbles are embedded in the screed due to the weight above.

It is, therefore, the object of my invention to provide a new and improved apparatus whereby the space between the screeds and the concrete floor may be easily and quickly filled with plastic concrete which will form a base for said scrceds'when hardened.

A further object is to provide a new method or process for laying the screeds and the concrete base, whereby the necessity of providing a large number of wedges will be eliminated and also whereby a more rigid and firmbase may be easily, quickly and economically provided for said screeds. Y

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement anl combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claiins,and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved apparatus for laying the concrete sub-sleepers.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of same.

Figure 3 is atransversesectional view.

Figure l is a side elevation of one end of my improved device for forming'concrete subsleepers. i

Figure is aside elevation showing the manner in which ascreed is supported above the concrete base before the sub-sleepers are applied.

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view of the concrete sleeper and thescreed as mounted therein, as constructed by my improved method; and i Figure 7 is a detail sectional viewtaken on the line 7-7 of Figure 5.

In Figure 5 of the drawings I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate the. upper surface the concrete floor which is shown iirsection in said figure, said concrete floor being poured in the usual manner, and while in a plastic condition a series of screed anchors 11 are inserted. Said anchors are arrangedin rows, each of which is usually'provided' with'a pair of upright members 12 spaced about two inches apart and are de signed to have placed between them the screeds or wooden strips 13 which are usually about two inches square.

Due to the fact that the upper surface of the concrete base 10 is uneven, as clearly illustrated in Figure 5, it will be seen that if the screed 13 was laid directly on the top surface of the base/10, the upper edge of the screed would not fall in a common horizontal plane, due to the unevenness of the floor surface, and

that the screed would be supportedonly at a number of points on the upper surface of the base, leaving. the intermediate portions of the screed unsupported To overcome this difficulty, it is necessary to wedge upthescreeds so that the upper edges lie in a common horizontal plane, the wedges being provided to support the screed at any points where it does not touch the upper portion of the concrete floor; The screeds are then nailed or fastened to the anchors. Sometimes the space below the screeds is filled with concrete by means'of a trowel, which is a very slow method. The under surface of the screed touches the floor at various points,thereby provie ing a very thin and narrow space, which, if it were possible to fill with concrete, would be very thin and. crumbly, due to the fact that the concrete'would dry too rapidly. 1

lVith my improved method Ifirst ascertain the highest point in the floor surface and level the screeds from this pointand support the screed at this point a considerable distance above, the surface-0f the concrete floor, ap

proximately one-half inch. I then level this screed and secure it rigidly in position with the screed anchors 12 by means of nails 14-, and then remove the wedges and use them for the next screed, which is leveled with the first one and secured in position in the same manner. After all of the screeds h'ave'been thus leveled and rigidly securedinposition this method, it willbe seen that a space will be provided between the lower. surface of all of the screeds and the said floor throughout the entire length of saidscreeds.

F or formingthe concrete base or sub-s1 leperbeneathithe screeds, Ihave provided an apparatus which consists of a hopper having slanting side members 15 whichterminate in downwardlyextending portions 16 at their lower edges. The side members 15 are provided with end members 17. llhedownwardly extendingmembers .16 are; spaced apart sin or eight inches. Extending longitudinally with thetmembers l6 and between-the end members 17 I have provided wall members 18 which are spaced aparta distance slightly greater than the width of the screeds 13. The lower edgesof the members 18 aremounted considerably above the lower edges of the members 16, while the upper edges of the members 18 terminate in inwardly and upwardly extending portions 19 forminga wedge shaped cover withiaspace between the members 18. Each of the end members 1'? is provided with "a central slot'20 at itslower edge. The lower edgeofsaidrmember 17 is provided with inclined edgesQl. The outer surface of the members 16 areprovided with axles 22, on which are mounted supporting wheels 23. The lower edges of the members 16 are supported slightly above the under surface of-said wheels. The upper edges of the members 17 are provided with a longitudinallyextending pipe :24; having outwardly extending bortions to form handles'by means of which the hopper may be lifted and moved from one screed to'another. One end of thememher is preferably provided with anauxiliary handle 25,-the handle-portion of which extendstransversely with .the tube Qekand supported by means of brackets 26, thelower ends of which arebolted to the said pipe 24. This provides means whereby the hopper may be ,movedlongitudinally with 'the-screed. One ofthe endplates 1-17 is provided with a pair of trowel members which are secured adjaeentto and extended laterally from the inclinededges 21.

In practical use the hopper is lifted by the handles Q l and 25 and:placedlongitudinally with the-screed so thatthe-members*181rest on each side thereof with the wheels QZllGSting onrtheconcrete floor. flhehopper is then placed .tll'n-OIlGrQHCl of the screed with the provided withi'enou-gh Water so'the concrete will run quite freely. Itwill then be seen zthat the concrete will settle *down betwe'en the members 16 and 18 and onto the upper snrtace of the floor 10and' Wlll'l'llll under the screed in the manner illustrated in Figure 3. The hopper may then be moved slowlyand longitudinally with the screed which sameashape as the lower edges 21 of the plates 17. The trowelsQ? are so arranged that as the hopper isadvan'ced, they will iave a tendency to squeeze and crowd the plastic concrete intoany spaces that-arenot lilled by the pressure ofthe plastic concrete in the hopper, :thereby providing means whereby a solid-sub-sleeper will be: provided. The lower edges ofthe members 18zare arranged atsuch a height that-a considerable amount of the concrete will be filled against the outer edges of the screedyas clearly shown in Figure 6. This provides a brace'forthe screedstso prevent them ,fromiturning over. This also provides meanewhereby unevenness'in the surface of the concreteiioor may beitalren care of, inasmuch as itwill be seen that ,tlie'hopper may be raised and lowered relative to the screed -13, in which case,of v

course, the inclined sides of the'base 28 crtend higher orlower onuthe screed and the thicknessof the base beneath the screedwill accordingly be varied. "There will be, however, a su'tlicient(amount of material extended against the side of-the screed to prevent any turningtendency. The important feature is that .the screed is supportedbn a 'lirm subbase of concrete which rests iirmly on the concrete floor.

After the sub-baseihas been'laid undeixone of thescreeds the hopper may then be lifted to anotherscreed bymeans of the handles and125, and the operation repeated.

Thus it will be' seen that I" have provided an improved method whereby the screeds may beeasily and quickly placed above a concrete floor and in properalinement with each otheryand which are supported on a concrete base in such aamanner that they will notyield or squeal; from continuous use after vthe floor has been'laid, thereby providing a permanent and fixed anchor for-the floor. it will \further be scenthat the concrete subbase at allpoints of-suliicient thickness to the concrete base maybe quickly and easily and economically laid.

Iclaim as my invention:

l. A device for forming concrete subsleepers comprising a hopper provided with side-and endmembers, the lower-edges of said end "members being =inclined upwardly and inwardly and'terminating ina vertical slot,

a pair of Wall members extending longitudinall throu h said hon )er and )arallel with the said side members, and having their lower edges terminating with the lower end oft said vertical slots, the upperedges ot said inner wall members being inclined upwardly and w in *ardly to intersect each other, and supporting wheels "for said hopper.

2. A device for forming concrete sul member adjacent to each of the inclined edges of one of the end plates of said hopper.

A device for forming concrete sub-sleepers comprising a hopper provided with side and end members, the lower edges of said end members being inclined upwardly and inwardly and terminating ina vertical slot, a pair of wall members extending longitudinally through said hopper and parallel with the said side members, and having their lower edges terminating in the lower end oi said vertical slots, the upper edges of said inner wall members being inclined upwardly and inwardly to intersect each other, supporting wheels fol-said hopper, and a trowel member adjacent to each of the inclined edges of one of the end plates o1 said hopper, and handles for lifting and carrying said hopper.

The method of forming a floor support which consists in first providing a plastic concrete floor and inserting therein while in a plastic condition a row of vertically arranged screed anchors, then permitting the concrete floor to harden, then providing a horizontal screed adjacent to said anchors, then temporarily supporting and leveling said screed so that its under surface is entirely above said concrete floor, then rigidly securing said screed to said anchors, then removing the temporary support and applyin plastic concrete beneath said screeds in such a manner that the concrete will flow under the screeds by gravity, and then applying pressure to the upper surface oi said plastic concreteso that the plastic concrete will be forced under said screed and the screed embedded partially therein.

5. An apparatus for forming concrete subsleepers comprising a hopper designed to contain plastic concrete and to be advanced lon gitudinally over a screed spaced above a base, a shield device in the hopper shaped to,

overlap the top and sides of a screed and to prevent the flow of concrete from the hopper on top ofthe' screed, said hopper being also" formed with means whereby the flow of concrete trom it Wlll be directed downwardly and inwardly beneath the screed along which the hopper is being advanced.

6. The method of forming concretcsubsleepers whichconsists n first providing a concrete base having a series of slender and upwardly projecting screed supporting memhers arranged in rows, then securing to the screed supporting members oi each. row a screed spaced above the base a slight distance, and then inserting a continuous conerete sub-sleeper in plastic condition between the base and said screed and around said screed supports.

7. The method oiiorming a floor support.

which consists in first providing a plastic concrete floor and inserting therein a row of vertically arranged screed anchorswhile the concrete is in aplastic condition, then permitting the concrete to set,then leveling a screed with its entire under surface supported a considerable distance above the concrete floor, then securin the screed to said screed anchors, then delivering in a continuous man nor a stream of plastic material capable of hardening to the floor longitudinally of and adjacent to one side of said. screed, and simultaneously applying lateral pressure to the plastic material to force a po'rtionof said plastic material beneath said screed and around said screed anchors.

8. The method of forming floor support which consists in first providing a plastic concrete floor and inserting therein While in a plastic condition a row of vertically arranged screed anchors, then permitting the concrete floor to harden, then providing a horizontal screed adjacent to said anchors, then temporarily supporting and leveling said screed so thatits under surface is entirely above said concrete flOOlB'llllGIl rigidly securing said screed to said anchors, then removing the temporary support and delivering in a continuous manner a stream of plastic ina- HARRY I. KILLION. 

